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Writing tips newsletter Previous issues Subscribe Email:

Business Writing Tips e-newsletter : June 2007

Don't catch the buzz

Forget pseudo-sophisticated buzzwords. Use straightforward text to convey your point.

Buzz

To boost profits, we need salespeople to interface with marketing reps.

Straightforward

To boost profits, we need salespeople to work with marketing reps.

Write balanced sentences

Balance your sentences with a consistent structure. See the difference in the two ways the second clause (after the comma) is written.

Unbalanced

Our department won't achieve its goals without hiring 10 new salespeople, and a new lead-generation system is needed if the company wants to grow.

Balanced

Our department won't achieve its goals without hiring 10 new salespeople, and the company won't grow without a new lead-generation system.

Use a dash for emphasis

Insert a dash, not a parentheses, to emphasize your point.

Joan's presentation—using dynamic PowerPoint slides—won over the audience.

Grammar tip: less vs. fewer

Use fewer, not less, when describing items that can be counted.

In May, the manager wrote five fewer reports than she wrote in April.